| CODE | SPI3101 | ||||||
| TITLE | Design Workshop: Rethinking the Piazza – Site Analysis and Plan | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | Not Applicable | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 3 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Spatial Planning and Infrastructure | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Objective: The design workshop applies basic urban design principles in practice by first exploring approaches to analyse the character of a chosen built environment and, subsequently, to design a practical proposal aimed at improving the overall quality and liveability of both the chosen urban space and its surroundings. The project work includes an initial site visit and attendance at a series of compulsory tutorials and project reviews. Within the assigned project, you will develop a deeper understanding of the three-dimensional environment that surrounds you, through undertaking in-depth site analyses/appraisals and the generation of a master plan and accompanying 3D studies for a chosen piazza. This project tackles a real-life context – Siggiewi’s main piazza – and urges you to consider what sort of place you would wish this urban space to be. In other words, what is your vision? In so doing, this workshop reminds you that: • it is sometimes appropriate to be bold in your thinking and always appropriate to be creative; • lessons from your the analysis stage must be carried forward and taken on board in the design phase of the assigned square; • urban design has a broad remit and is about social ‘places’ as much as it is about physical ‘spaces’; and • on-site sketching is very useful to understand issues and to further explain views and proposals for a chosen space. Brief: Simply defined, a square refers to an area framed by buildings and sometimes an area designed to exhibit the buildings that surround it. Camillo Sitte (19th century), Zucker (1950s) and Krier (1979) have all developed interesting theories about good square design. More recently, Carmona (2010) and Gehl (1987, 2003, 2010) have carried out in-depth urban design studies involving work in the UK and Denmark (Copenhagen). In the past decade or two, a number of European piazzas have been successfully rethought and rehabilitated (notably work by Jan Gehl and Dutch practice West 8) and, together with the grand historical Baroque piazzas are considered to be some of the most successful places in Europe. Designing a good piazza is not easy – it entails achieving a balance among different users and their activities, allowing for both formality and flexibility, in social, economic, environmental and cultural terms. As the soul of the urban settlement, it needs to be a strong node that functions well while simultaneously providing the diverse members of the community (and visitors alike) the opportunity for interaction, leisure and recreation, and a variety of options in this regard. Siggiewi’s main piazza offers a number of challenges. Issues such as: - its form; the manner with which it works in relation to the main church; - its links to the surrounding street network and nodes; the parking and vehicular movement through it that characterises it; - the location of, and design of the buildings that enclose it; - issues of permeability, functionality (including the possible incompatibility of some uses) and legibility and other issues; - provide a complex but highly interesting context. Knowledge of basic urban design principles obtained through this project will be very relevant to your future careers. Method The ‘Placecheck’ method should be used to analyse in detail the piazza of Siggiewi, focusing on the second set of questions (Part B, 15 questions). This first exercise is meant as an initial ‘brainstormer’ and should be carried out as a group. Spend time in Siggiewi’s piazza and observe the users, their activities, movement patterns (pedestrian and vehicular). Look at the piazza’s current physical characteristics – what works and what does not? How do the individual elements work in isolation and as a whole system? Analyse the piazza in terms of the different visual stimuli that are contained therein – the different materials, urban furniture, landscaping typology. Are they adequate and do they serve their purpose well? Can they be rethought? Subsequently divide the following work individually and carry out these exercises: 1. Figure/ground plans accompanied by a brief historical analysis: combine these two techniques, producing figure ground plans for three points in time in order to study whether and how the urban morphology of the space has changed along the years. Limit the historical discussion to those salient aspects that have contributed to the square’s urban development. 2. A land-use analysis of the site and its surrounding context: take a radius of 250m for this analysis (using the centre of the space as the centre of your circle), highlighting any vacancies and redevelopment opportunities. Carry out this analysis separately for the individual floors of the surrounding buildings. 3. A tissue analysis: this technique involves you drawing morphologies or simple spaces, which you know to be successful or unsuccessful, and superimposing them on the study area. This is a very useful analytic tool – how large is the space when compared to other spaces that you know and enjoy? How enclosed is it? etc. Choose two completed projects as case studies to superimpose on the area, ideally two very different configurations in order to tease out ideas. 4. Carry out a Lynch analysis – study the piazza in terms of paths, edges, nodes, landmarks and districts. Supplement this analysis with a mind mapping analysis: ask passers-by to draw maps of the route between two chosen points that includes the Siggiewi square, in order for you to understand the perceptual strengths and weaknesses of the area, and the extent to which the space features as a positive or negative element in their image of the town. Ask a number of individuals, who should vary in age and gender. 5. Analyse the other open spaces within the 250m‐‐‐radius – what is the nature of these ancillary spaces and can they form part of a comprehensive open space network with the main piazza? 6. A final analysis will be a SWOT analysis to further understand the nature of the area. Limit yourself to the immediate context for this analysis. This should be your concluding analysis and should be carried out as a group. Group tutorials will be held in order to explain the above analyses. After two weeks you will have an interim presentation where you will be required to present: (1) The most salient issues arising out of your Placecheck (do NOT present replies to all the 15 questions) and observations carried out on-site; (2) The figure/ground and historical analysis, discussing its implications and outlining how the area has changed over time; (3) The tissue analysis and your findings from this study; (4) The Lynch analysis, the mind maps and your observations from this study; (5) The land-use map for the square and its catchment area; (6) The analysis from surrounding open spaces; (7) The SWOT analysis for the site. You will then commence work on the design of the space. You will be required to prepare a proposed masterplan together with both sketches (as appropriate, including conceptual sketches to illustrate your strategy) and detailed 3D rendered visuals to explain the nature of your proposals. Examples from well-suited and relevant case studies may be used as a supplementary means to illustrate the essence of the proposals and to help you develop your concept further, but will not be accepted as a replacement thereof. In your final crits you will have to present and explain: • How the analyses informed your design strategy; • Your design concept and strategy to transform the character and quality of the Siggiewi piazza; • Your masterplan, sketches, sections, 3D rendered visuals and relevant details for your proposed scheme. Reading List: BENTLEY, I., ALCOCK, A., MURRAIN, P., MCGLYNN, S., and SMITH, G., 1987, Responsive Environments: A manual for designers, Butterworth Architecture CARMONA, M., TIESDELL, S., HEATH, T. and OC, T., 2010, Public places – urban spaces, 2nd Ed. Architectural Press CULLEN, G., 1996, The concise townscape, Architectural Press (shortened version of the 1961 edition of Townscape) GEHL, J., 1987, Life between buildings: using public space, Van Nostrand Reinhold GEHL, J., 2003, New City Spaces, Danish Architectural Press GEHL, J., 2010, Cities for People, Island Press HOMES AND COMMUNITIES AGENCY/LLEWELYN DAVIES YEANG, Urban design compendium, web resource KRIER, R. (1979). Urban Space, Academy Editions LYNCH, K., 1960, The image of the city, Technology Press MOUGHTIN, C., 1992, Urban design: street and square, Butterworth Architecture TIBBALDS, F., 2001, Making people‐‐‐friendly towns, E. & F. N. Spon VELLA, C., 2002, Siggiewi (Citta Ferdinand): a profile of history, social life and traditions, Siggiewi Local Council A number of interesting local dissertations have also been written about Siggiewi. |
||||||
| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Offered only to B.Sc. (Hons) in Built Environment Studies students. | ||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Workshop | ||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||
| LECTURER/S | Antoine Zammit |
||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||